The Long Road Home

Chapter Eighteen

The streets were crowded. People and vehicles moved around like ants, constantly in motion. One couldn’t afford to stop and admire the scenery without being swallowed up by the flow. Caine gritted his teeth as they steadily made their way along. It was a good thing he wasn’t here alone, or he would be hopelessly lost.

He glanced to his left where Gus sat on his bike, waiting for the green light. They had arrived in New York the previous night after a long road trip. Once they reached the city, they hadn’t thought of anything except getting hotel rooms. Caine had let Gus choose where they stayed. The Club President was footing the bill and, as long as Caine had a bed and a toilet, he really didn’t care. A free breakfast in the morning was just a bonus.

They were traveling lighter now that they had left their things at the hotel. Caine had asked what kind of clothes he should wear, but Gus shrugged off the concern. Without guidance, Caine had gone with his usual jeans and black T-shirt under his cut. Luckily, Gus was dressed much the same way, so he didn’t feel out of place considering they were now on their way to an office building of some sort.

Gus was still being very cryptic about where they were going or what Caine should expect. He wasn’t sure if he should press the issue or not. Caine hated walking into a situation he wasn’t prepared for. He didn’t even know if the building had metal detectors, not that he was one to carry weapons. Usually, his fists were enough. He had endured several brawls where weapons were drawn on him, and he still came out with only a scratch or two. It was one of the reasons he had his road name.

The lights changed, and they proceeded along with the traffic flow before coming to another. Caine let out a frustrated sigh. This was the reason he hated large cities. It was so much more satisfying to hop on his bike and head for the open road. He was definitely a fan of smaller towns. How did Eleanor live in such a crowded, busy place?

No wonder she never talked about it. At first, he used to worry about her feeling bored in Serenity, which was so much smaller than what she was used to. But Eleanor seldom mentioned New York and delighted in such seemingly mundane events like the Farmer’s and Flea Markets. She enjoyed walking through the city part and continued to take part in the annual marathon sponsored by the Club.

Of course, Caine trained and participated alongside her. Not only did it mean spending more time with her, but it also meant he had the pleasure of bathing her after their training sessions as well as making love to her before, during and after. It was only natural to join her on the run as well. Eleanor seemed wholly oblivious to the looks she received from men. As much as he loved her for her naivety, Caine had to make sure everyone knew she was his and his alone. Eleanor often joked about him marking his territory like a guard dog, but he honestly didn’t mind the analogy.

Caine glanced at the pedestrians and noticed several people taking note of the two bikers. Some were even taking photos, and more than a few women were seemingly trying to attract their attention. There was a time when Caine would be thrilled by such displays, but now it held no interest to him. His queen and princess were waiting for him at home. He couldn’t even muster a cheeky wave to their admirers.

Shifting his attention forward again, they moved on. Beside him, Gus signaled to let him know where to turn. Caine followed his lead to turn off the street and into a parking garage nestled between two office buildings. Caine trailed behind as Gus led the way through a maze of vehicles and parking spaces before choosing a space in a quiet corner.

Caine parked beside him. He set his helmet down and took in their surroundings. There were numerous cars that prevented him from seeing far and that made him anxious. There were a hundred different places that would make good ambush spots, and he had no way of anticipating them. That was another reason he hated large cities. They were on unfamiliar turf, and now he wouldn’t be able to see trouble ahead.

“Relax, Caine,” Gus said. “Nobody knows we’re here. You can keep your hackles down.”

“Yeah, well, that advantage is lost as soon as we show ourselves,” Caine reminded.

“True enough,” Gus nodded. “But these aren’t the sort of people that get physical. They prefer sabotage, intimidation and blackmail. They aren’t likely to jump out of the shadows. They’ll come at us sideways.”

“Well, that’s annoying.”

“Agreed and one of the reasons I never missed this place. Well, come on. No sense putting it off any longer.”

Caine followed Gus outside and across the street. Their attire got several looks as they traversed a fair distance before arriving at their destination. Caine couldn’t say if he was surprised by the rather simple looking building. It definitely wasn’t impressive since it was dwarfed by several nearby ones.

“This building belongs to your family?” Caine asked. “The whole thing?”

“Yeah, but it’s not as impressive as you might think,” Gus said. “Several floors are rented out to other businesses we have no ties to, so I’d say only about half actually constitutes our firm.”

“And what exactly does your family do?” Caine asked as they stepped into the rather plain-looking lobby.

Gus bypassed the reception desk, heading straight for the elevator. He frowned, saying, “That’s a bit more complicated.”

“How complicated could it possibly be?”

“Well, part of it is a brokerage firm and investment banking,” Gus said. “Another part is primarily concerned with venture capitalism and the stock market, assuming nothing has changed over the last twenty years.”

“Sorry I asked,” Caine shook his head. It was far beyond him. Give him a wrench or hammer any day.

Gus chuckled. He hadn’t minded the work, primarily concerning himself with the investment aspect. However, his knowledge was dated. His father and brother could have drastically changed the structure of the company. Although, given what Fin mentioned, he doubted it. At least that would make it easy for him to sort out his brother’s mess, he hoped.

Stepping onto the lift, they rode it upward to the executive floor. Gus paid no attention to the odd looks they received. Everyone was dressed in suits, and he supposed jeans, flannel and cut were a bit much for even a casual Friday. But he wasn’t going to let that bother him. This wasn’t his world anymore, and he wasn’t going to pretend any different.

Caine was quiet as they stepped off the elevator and, again, bypassed the reception desk. Gus frowned slightly at the lackluster performance of the receptionists. While they could very well be intimidated by their appearance, he would have at least expected some sort of acknowledgment and inquiry about where they were going.

“Something wrong?” Caine asked.

“Just wondering why no one thought to stop us from waltzing in. I’d say security has gotten pretty lax.”

“Or they are just terrified,” Caine chuckled. “You should see your face right now. You look like an ogre.”

“I do not,” Gus snapped before glancing at his reflection in the window.

Then again, he did look pissed. Maybe he couldn’t blame anyone for being intimidated. Well, at least it meant they would leave him alone.